Submitted by Jeff Brown, Candidate for District 3 CPSD.
Dear Clover Park School District Families, Residents and Voters,
This article is a heartfelt thank you for your votes, which have allowed me to take a firm step towards being your District 3 School Board representative, alongside your, hopefully new District 4 School Board representative David Anderson.
This article is the first in a series of articles over the next two months where I will write about the following:
- What I am hearing from you and your concerns about the district.
- What I am learning about how we can address your concerns.
Thus far, I have heard concerns about topics such as CRT, Equity Policy (currently in the process of adoption by the district), masks mandates, vaccination mandates, sex education, gender identity and internal staff-bullying. All of these issues are currently disturbing our schools in various magnitudes. They are clear distractions and largely introduced and supported from interests outside our district. They dramatically affect the fundamental purpose of our schools in educating our kids for whole and productive lives.
Further, I will be presenting insights regarding ways we could return our schools into robust places of learning, discovery, creativity, challenge, and critical thinking for each individual student.
There are three areas I will be addressing:
- Vision – What is the vision and path towards reclaiming our schools into ‘robust and engaging’ places of learning and nurture? What principles of learning? Who is successful now? What are best practices? What curriculums?
- Structure – What is the structure and mission of your school board to affect necessary changes to our schools? What are the driving principles by which your School Board selects and directs the superintendent and subsequent staff and programs of our schools?
- Distractions – What distractive forces prevent our schools from the needed changes to move forward? How can your school board un-chain those distractive forces which hold us back?
Stay tuned. Now is the beginning of the changing which we need to undertake. It is not easy, it is time consuming, it requires calm and clear listening, it requires thoughtful and clear discussions, but it is necessary.
The Beginning is Now.
As a parent, THANK YOU for listening to our cries, and stepping up to the plate to make a positive change for our children! Let’s get back to academics, and giving our kids the education they need to ensure their futures.
Our children are long gone from the District schools, but we still care about their health and the students’ achievement in them. Thank you, Jeff, for stepping forward and hearing the concerns of the parents and the Lakewood community. Our students deserve the best and their families deserve a voice. Only then will we improve the education in Lakewood WA.
Proud CPHS Grad
You are welcome Rebecca!! We must move our district from one of the worst performing districts in the state to one of the best! Together…
Thank you Mandy!!
A rational logical approach to improving Clover Park School District (CPSD) is needed: compared to the current Board light years ahead. Active leadership that can formulate policy and directs the Superintendent for its accomplishment rather than a largely passive rubber stamp for Superintendent developed “policy” in its place. Informed Board debate on the most urgent and primary value of any educational system: academic performance. Understanding and appreciating that as elected Board members they owe their allegiance to the people who elected them and the children entrusted to their care and education. Accountability based upon the school district’s performance academically as the bottom line for Board self, member, superintendent and staff evaluation.
This is what Jeff brings to the table in this CPSD Board election. As an architect he is a designer and ultimately builder of structures that must serve the needs of the owner. We are the owners of CPSD and Board members owe us that responsibility when elected. Jeff understands the necessity for a firm and sound foundation for any structure to include a school district. Without such a foundation, anything added to the building above that foundation is fraught with danger. Add enough on top of an unstable foundation and you risk total collapse of the structure or school district. Back to basics: that academic foundation and performance upon which the rest of the district rests. Until that foundation is secured, distractions and detractions must be eliminated as they threaten, rather than enhance the district’s basic education mission.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting the results to change. If you want to change and improve CPSD’s value as an educational institution you have to start by changing the leadership at the top and start at the bottom to establish a foundation for success. To do otherwise is insanity. You have that opportunity on 2 November 2021.
Back in the day when I was a student in Clover Park High School the system had an excellent reputation. Now when I mention it I am met with concerned faces, even a scoff, and down-spirited resignation. Many who have the means avoid the problem by enrolling their children in private schools or by homeschooling. Yet avoidance of our local public schools for the majority of our community’s children is not possible. If an excellent education for all is our moral obligation and the foundation of our society, what can we do to provide it for them?
Jeff Brown is addressing his concern by researching the current responsibilities and practices of the CPSD Board of Directors; and he is ready to assume the responsibility of representing District 3 as a School Board Director. AVOIDANCE is not a word in his vocabulary. He is a thinker and a “doer”. I’m putting my faith in him when I cast my vote in the general election on November 2.
I really like the three areas you will be addressing. Our schools should refocus on developing critical thinking skills instead of being distracted by topics that take our students out of their core subjects. I look forward to reading your future articles.
Also, I will encourage my Lakewood friends and residents to consider supporting you for Clover Park School District’s Board of Directors. It’s time for new direction.
As a current school board director I totally agree with Jeff Brown’s statement, “Stay tuned. Now is the beginning of the changing which we need to undertake. It is not easy, it is time consuming, it requires calm and clear listening, it requires thoughtful and clear discussions, but it is necessary.”
Open clear discussion is a must for a board to function. I have encouraged my fellow board members to have listening sessions with the many diverse groups in our community so we can support our students and the common good of our community. Unfortunately, it has not happened and I hope the voters will allow Jeff Brown to join the Clover Park School Board so we can begin listening.
Jeff,
I agree with your analysis and the reasoning behind it. Thanks for taking this on.
Chuck Hellar